


over the edge

by unsaidliz



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Arguing, Divorce, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, M/M, Mild Language, References to Alcohol, References to Drugs, they bicker like a married couple but it will be worth it in the end i promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27428656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unsaidliz/pseuds/unsaidliz
Summary: Luke is seconds away from dropping out of university when his parents force him to hire a tutor. Reggie is an overachieving student who will take any distraction he can get from his family. Reggie would do anything to get on Luke's good side, but Luke isn't having it.
Relationships: Alex & Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Flynn/Julie Molina, Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 170





	1. 01

“Either you get your grades together or you’re out. You know the rules.”

Luke rolled his eyes at his mother’s remark. He was doing horribly in school. Like, really bad. He knew that. And part of him knew his mom was right. He was only allowed to live at home because he was in college, but once that fell through it was over. The course load was too much for him to also have a job, so his parents were actually kind enough to let him live at home for a while while he managed his classes.

Everything would be fine if Luke actually liked college. But he didn’t. He despised it, actually. The classes were hard and uninteresting. The sad part is, in Luke’s mind, that he hadn’t even decided on a major and he already concluded that he hated it. The students were pretentious and so independent that they wouldn’t even consider helping Luke if he thought to ask. But Luke was told his entire life that if he didn’t go to college and get a successful job, he would be a failure. His parents ingrained that mindset into his head. It was all that he knew.

“What do you suggest that I do then?” Luke snapped, fed up with the constant arguing about his future with his parents.

“You’re gonna have to get a tutor. That seems to be your only option because you can’t try hard enough yourself.” Luke’s dad retorted, causing Luke’s throat to tighten.

A tutor? What was this, middle school? He wasn’t a child. But he knew this was probably his only option besides dropping out and getting kicked out. He couldn’t afford that right now, literally.

“Whatever makes you get off my back,” Luke reluctantly agreed.

“Great! I figured you would eventually agree, so I took one of these from that coffee shop downtown and I think you should give them a call.” Luke’s mom handed him a small slip of paper.

He looked down and read the paper. “COLLEGE-LEVEL TUTORING: ALL SUBJECTS. FIRST SESSION FREE! CALL REGGIE AT (415) 224- 1598”

Luke scoffed. What kind of name is Reggie? He pocketed the paper and began walking to his bedroom.

“Wait a minute,” his father interrupted, making Luke stop in his tracks, “You need to call that number right now.”

Luke rolled his eyes. “I will. Just not around you two.” And he retreated to his room.

He sat on his bed and huffed. Like he was going to call. What was this, the early 2000s? But he knew his parents wouldn’t let him not contact “Reggie,” so he would at least text.

“Hey Reggie. I found your number on a flyer and was reaching out about your tutoring services?” God, he sounded so pathetic. But he didn’t really have a choice in the matter so he kept typing.

Next thing Luke knew his phone was ringing. His heart sank. Why was the guy calling him? He sent the text not even five minutes ago. Luke scrambled with his phone while it rang a few times and finally answered.

“Um, hello?” Luke said, already irritated.

“Luke, hi! I just saw your text. It’s Reggie.” An enthusiastic voice answered.

Luke mockingly laughed and replied, “You respond fast. You looking for people to tutor?”

“Yeah, definitely. Can always use the extra bucks. Your first session-”

“Is free, yeah,” Luke interrupted, “It’s on the flyer, dude.”

“Right,” Luke heard Reggie clearing his throat. “So, when can you meet? And where? I’d suggest my place but I still live-”

“Can’t we just meet at the library or something? You go to Davis right?” Luke interrupted again, losing his patience with the guy.

“Yeah, yeah, I do. How’s tomorrow?” Reggie responded, not as enthusiastically as before. Luke almost felt guilty but realized that he hadn’t even met him. Besides, Luke was the one paying him. Luke didn’t owe this stranger anything.

“Sure. See you at like 2?” Luke suggested. Not that he had anything better to do anyway.

“Sounds great! I’ll be at the tables in the back. They have the best natural light and…” Reggie trailed off, slowly realizing that Luke didn’t care about any of that.

“Sweet.” Luke hung up without saying goodbye and threw his phone onto the bed, throwing himself down onto the bed as well.

He looked up at the ceiling of his bedroom in annoyance. These next few weeks (or however long tutoring takes) were going to be torture. But, it’s like he said before. Whatever it would take to get his parents off his back.

Reggie hung up his phone in confusion. He usually didn’t have issues with the students he tutors, but Luke was different. Why did he already hate him? The thought of anyone hating Reggie ate at his heart, but he hadn’t even met Luke yet. Why was there so much hostility?

Reggie shook his head, trying to put his anxiety about the situation at ease. It didn’t even matter if Luke liked him or not; it’s not like he needed to impress the guy. All he needed was to help him pass his classes and Reggie would get some decent money in return. Reggie had been tutoring kids since he was in middle school, given he was an extreme overachiever in school. For some reason, ever since he was younger, Reggie felt the need to impress his teachers and peers with his academic achievement. He didn’t have many friends growing up (and college was honestly no different) likely because he always had his head crammed in a textbook or was spending time at his local library going through flashcards.

This didn’t happen randomly, unfortunately. Reggie still remembers the day it happened like it was yesterday. Around the sixth grade, Reggie came home from school to his parents screaming at each other in an intense argument. They didn’t hear Reggie come home, so he ran up to his room in fear and started reading. He couldn’t stop. He needed a distraction from the overwhelming amount of emotions he felt about his family falling apart.

Eventually Reggie’s parents would fight all the time, not just when Reggie was away from home. So he turned the library and bookstore into his new home. He would spend countless hours there after school, head buried in a book or encyclopedia, desperate for knowledge to fill his mind. He’d use the library computers to watch nature documentaries and educational videos. He hit a certain point where he couldn’t stand the silence. Any moment of silence was filled with the echoes of his parents’ screams at each other. So he listened to anything he could get his hands on: audiobooks, podcasts, and every genre of music out there.

He became a pretty well-rounded kid, on the outside at least. Once he got to his senior year of high school he had gotten pretty skilled at pretending like he had his entire life together. And in some aspects he did. He had good grades, was involved in school activities, and had a full ride scholarship to UC Davis. Now that he was in college, he could spend all day on campus and not have to worry about being at home with his parents.

Oh yeah, he still lived at home. Although he made a decent amount tutoring students, he couldn’t quite afford to have a place of his own just yet. He saved every penny he could so that one day he could have his freedom. He’d probably be able to move out in a few months, so long as him tutoring Luke doesn’t fall through.

Reggie’s strained relationship with his parents was probably the reason he felt strangely hurt talking to Luke over the phone for the first time. He didn’t know the guy, had never seen his face, but his shortness with Reggie felt like thorns in his heart. Throughout his teen and adult years, Reggie constantly felt the need to impress people. He was a people pleaser, simple as that. Any time any person in his life showed a sliver of adversity towards him, Reggie would do whatever it takes to get on their good side and make them like him. 

Reggie slapped himself on the head at an attempt to snap out of this cycle. All he needed to worry about was making money. That’s it. He wouldn’t have to be haunted by the idea of Luke hating him for long.


	2. 02

Reggie had been waiting for almost an hour in the back corner of the library. But Luke wasn’t late. Reggie got there early. Definitely too early. He had all of his materials laid out. He wasn’t sure what Luke wanted to begin with, so he brought pretty much everything. You can’t be too prepared, Reggie always thought.

Reggie checked the time on his phone and saw that it was approaching 2 o’clock. He noticed his leg was shaking aggressively under the table and had to stomp in order to stop it. Why was he so nervous? He’s tutored plenty of people before. But they weren’t as sharp as Luke. And they had only met over the phone. Reggie knew it wasn’t necessary, but he felt the need to impress Luke. To make him happy. But the guy seemed like he hated him without seeing his face.

“Uh, hello?” a deep voice said, snapping Reggie out of his intrusive thoughts, “Are you Reggie?”

Reggie looked up to two green eyes and floppy brown hair. He was average height but slouching, hands tucked in the pockets of his loose-fitting black jeans. He wore an oversized red flannel that both swallowed him up and contoured his seemingly fit figure. He furrowed his brows into a confused expression after noticing Reggie’s prolonged silence and staring.

Why was he studying Luke like that? Reggie cleared his throat. “Y-yeah. I’m Reggie.” He extended a friendly hand towards him.

“Cool. Let’s get this over with.” Luke replied coldly, completely ignoring Reggie’s gesture.

“Okay…” Reggie responded, trying not to show the hurt that dismissal caused. “You didn’t specify what you wanted to start with, so I brought pretty much all of my materials. I’ve also got stuff on my computer, like study resources and things like that.”

“To be honest, I’m doing pretty horribly in all of my classes, but English is definitely not my strong suit,” Luke replied almost shamefully.

“Well, you’re in luck because English is my specialty,” Reggie reassured Luke enthusiastically with a smile. Luke didn’t seem fazed by Reggie’s positivity.

Luke brought an essay of his from his Composition I class for Reggie to look over. He flunked the essay and the paper was covered in red marks and comments. They spent about an hour going over Luke’s paper, Reggie offering critiques, and techniques for how to do better on his next paper. Reggie thought it was going surprisingly well. Luke was focused and listening to Reggie’s constructive comments on his writing, taking notes, and asking questions.

“The paper actually isn’t that bad, you know,” Reggie said, offering a reassuring smile, “Your professor probably just sucks. Trust me, I’ve had plenty of teachers like that. I actually did dual credit in high school and-”

“Hey, man. I gotta be honest.” Luke interrupted with a sarcastic tone, “Thanks, but I really don’t care about your personal life. I mean no offense.”

Reggie was almost taken aback by Luke’s words. What had Reggie done to upset him? He couldn’t sit back and let Luke speak to him this way.

“No, I’m sorry, actually,” Reggie snapped, “What did I do to you? I’m only here to help. I don’t appreciate you speaking to me that way. Plus, we just met. What gives you the right to act like this?”

Luke scoffed, seemingly surprised at Reggie’s comeback. “Yeah, you’re right. But I still don’t care. I’m here to get better grades so my parents hop off my back, and you’re here for a paycheck. Who says we need to be friends? Besides, I’m not friends with nerds.”

Reggie felt the steam coming out of his ears. “Nerds? Come on, you’re the one seconds away from failing out of school. You need me! I can easily find another student to tutor, plenty of students are failures just like you. But you… not many people will be able to handle an asshole.” He scrambled to grab his things, stuffed them in his bag, and left Luke in a huff.

Reggie almost sprinted out of the library doors and backed himself up against the cool brick walls. He put a hand to his sternum as he felt his heart rate quicken with each rapid breath. Reggie had never snapped like that. He was always taught to keep quiet even when someone was yelling and screaming in his face. Reggie shut his eyes, attempting to calm the rising anxiety he felt in his chest and shoulders. But closing his eyes made it worse. He thought of all the moments where he overhears his parents yelling at each other, screaming through his thin bedroom walls. He thought of the moments where he would catch his father in a bad mood and he would endure those screams himself. 

It took a few minutes and a few weird stares from students walking past, but eventually, Reggie was able to catch his breath and felt his anxiety ease. He thought to himself for a moment. Why did Luke hate him so much? What had he done wrong? These questions raked through his mind ever since last night. Reggie tried so hard to see the good in people. Maybe Luke was going through his own stuff. But, still. Reggie had endured enough torture. He couldn’t deal with it anymore. One day of being treated like this was enough. He collected himself and walked to his upcoming lecture, the pain of their argument lingering in his body.

Luke sat and watched Reggie aggressively walk away after their heated argument, sitting there in shock. It almost made Luke laugh. Luke was used to talking to people with a snarky, sarcastic tone. It was almost second nature to him. But Reggie didn’t respond to that. Like, at all. It definitely threw Luke for a loop, but he wasn’t upset or anything.

Luke had pretty much been closed off his entire life. Growing up he only had a few friends, who all eventually moved on. He didn’t mind much; he enjoyed his alone time. What he didn’t enjoy was his relationship with his parents. It was always strained. Luke never wanted to open up to them because he felt their judgment. He knew they wouldn’t support his interests, emotions, and passions. He didn’t want to go to college. But part of him, deep down, knew that his parents would never respect him again if he didn’t. That small part of him cared about what his parents thought of him. They were the only consistent people in his life, problematic or not. Plus, he was lucky enough that they were helping him out by letting him live at home. At least while he figured out his future.

But anyway, Luke had nothing to prove to Reggie. He didn’t have to get to know the guy or become best friends with him. He just needed to pass his classes so he didn’t become broke and homeless. He needed Reggie more than he’d like to admit.

Luke contemplated his next choices for a second and pulled out his phone to dial Reggie’s number. It rang for a while. Luke figured it would; he did snap at the guy and all.

“What?” Reggie said flatly. His enthusiastic tone from an hour ago completely gone.

Luke cleared his throat. “Look, dude. I hate to say it, but I’m sorry. You know I need this. I’m gonna get kicked out if I don’t pass and– you don’t care. Anyway, we don’t have to be friends or anything but–”

“Yeah, wasn’t planning on it,” Reggie snapped, cutting Luke off, “You know, I tried to be nice to you, but you weren’t having it. Why would I do this for you?”

“As much as you don’t want to admit it, you like helping people. We had a good thing going for a bit, didn’t we?”

“Whatever,” Reggie responded. Luke took this as a good sign. “This doesn’t mean I want to be your friend or anything. I just need the money. This is business only.”

“Don’t need friends, dude. Fine with me.” Luke responded, feeling a smile creeping onto his face. He brushed it away quickly.

“So, math next? Are you free tomorrow?”

“Yeah, same place, same time?”

“Great.” Reggie hung up promptly.

Luke felt content in the conversation he just shared with Reggie. Obviously, the guy wasn’t his friend. Something about his creepily positive outlook on life annoyed the shit out of him. And Reggie didn’t like Luke either. He didn’t have to. But they both needed this, so it would have to work. But deep down, Luke liked messing with Reggie. Even though they just met today.


	3. 03

They went on like this for a few weeks. Strictly business, no excess conversation besides discussing Luke’s math and English skills. They’d meet at that same table in the library three times a week for an hour, run flashcards and complete writing exercises together, and go their separate ways. They still hated each other’s guts, obviously. At least, Reggie thought Luke hated him. But somehow, they were able to at least tolerate each other for three hours a week. 

They would still bicker back and forth. If anyone was listening, they’d think Luke and Reggie were an old married couple. Their banter would mainly consist of Luke driving Reggie up the wall to the point where he’d be seconds away from snapping, but Reggie wouldn’t. Part of him knew that Luke enjoyed annoying the shit out of Reggie, but Luke still hated him. And part of him knew he couldn’t yell at Luke again like he did the first time they met face-to-face. They never talked about that day again and probably never would.

Their relationship, friendship, acquaintance-ship… whatever it was, confused the hell out of Reggie. He knew that Luke didn’t like him; they established that after their big blow-up. But, why would Luke tease him so much if he didn’t at least tolerate him? And why would he stick around? Luke could easily find another tutor on campus; Reggie knew plenty of them. Maybe Luke was just lazy; it definitely made sense. But also, maybe Luke liked Reggie, just a little bit?

Reggie shook his head. There was no way. Besides, Reggie didn’t like Luke. The guy drove Reggie crazy. But, deep down Reggie wanted Luke to like him. It would make things so much easier. Deep down Reggie wanted to impress Luke, be a good person for him. Reggie would never admit that. And Luke wouldn’t make it easy, either. But… Reggie wasn’t going to pretend that his stomach didn’t flutter when Luke got too close, when he looked over Reggie’s shoulder when showing him how to solve a math problem, when their hands grazed as they exchanged papers–

“Hello? Earth to Reg?” Luke said suddenly, waving his hands in front of Reggie’s face. “I finished the worksheet. You maybe wanna check it? Since that’s what I pay you for.”

Oh, right. Reggie had zoned out during their tutoring session. The most convenient time for the feelings to suddenly surface.

Reggie yanked the paper from Luke’s hands and scoffed. “You mean your parents, right?” Reggie felt proud of that one. He was getting better at the banter every time.

“Right, whatever,” Luke reluctantly conceded, “What were you even doing anyway? Fantasizing about me?”

Reggie’s heart dropped for a split second before rolling his eyes. “Yeah, you wish. Anyway, you completely missed a step in this problem. That’s why you couldn’t find a solution.”

“Well, maybe I should find a new tutor because I still feel like an idiot.”

Reggie was worried that Luke was actually considering finding a new tutor. Part of Reggie didn’t want to lose him. “Oh, please. As I said, no one around here would be able to tolerate you, no matter how much you pay.”

Luke shrugged, offering a teasing grin. “Yeah, you’re right. Plus, it’s fun teasing you.”

Reggie felt his cheeks turn red. So, maybe he was right. Luke enjoyed his company more than he’d like to admit.

Luke laughed and lightly hit Reggie on the arm from across their table. “Yeah, don’t get too excited. We’re not buddies or anything.”

Reggie cleared his throat and nodded rapidly. “Right, obviously.”

They continued to go over Luke’s math assignments for a while. Reggie tried desperately to push those foreign feelings he was experiencing earlier to the back of his mind, back in a corner and locked away, never to be experienced again. He didn’t need to get attached, and especially not to Luke.

In the middle of Reggie correcting Luke’s work once again, Luke’s phone rang loud through the library, echoing off the walls. A chorus of shushing occurred to which Luke responded to by glaring around the room.

“Can you nerds chill?” he snapped. “Give me a second, Reg.” Luke’s face softened and turned serious as he lifted his phone and saw the caller.

What was that nickname? “Dude, really? We’re not done.”

“Just give me a second. I’ll be back soon.” Luke got up and moved a few steps to stand behind a tall bookshelf.

Reggie tried not to be nosy, but he couldn’t help it. Who was on the other side of that call? What could they possibly need at 2:30 on a Thursday afternoon? He rolled his chair a bit closer to where Luke was standing, hiding behind the shelf as to not be obvious. He only caught bits of what Luke was saying.

“Kayla, seriously?… We’re broken up… Yeah, I’ve moved on… Fine, I’ll come…”

Suddenly Luke hung up the phone and walked back towards the table with a scowl. Reggie scrambled back to his earlier position discreetly.

“What was that about?” Reggie slipped out without thinking.

Luke shot a glare his way. “None of your business, man. Can we just get this over with?”

Reggie felt his heart sink to his stomach. Luke was so unpredictable, he thought to himself. One second he was teasing Reggie, almost flirting (at least in Reggie’s mind), the next he was snapping and glaring at Reggie like he’d insulted him. It was exhausting, but at the same time, Reggie couldn’t get enough.

They wrapped up their hour of study time and packed up their stuff in silence, as they always had all those weeks before. But Reggie couldn’t help but notice Luke’s occasional stolen glances from the corner of his eye. He decided to brush it off and head out the door, desperate to forget whatever was going on in his head forever.

He was turning the corner to head home when he heard a familiar voice yell behind him.

“Reggie, wait!” he turns around to see Luke jogging toward him, brown hair flopping with every step. Reggie was confused. Luke had never talked to him outside of those library walls except for that first day. 

“What?” Reggie asked as casually as possible.

Luke looked nervous. He never looked nervous. He was always the more confident one out of the two of them, not that they had ever been anywhere but the library together. But Luke… he was more talkative, always teasing, always nagging. Reggie usually just responded to Luke’s antics, but now, he was quiet. Now it was the other way around, for once.

“Listen, I know this is gonna sound insane, and I completely understand if you don’t want to, but hear me out. Please.”

“Just spit it out, dude. What is it?” Reggie was growing impatient. He didn’t even know what to expect from Luke at this point.

“So, uh. The phone call I was on? That was my girlfriend… ex-girlfriend I mean. She kinda still gets in my head if you couldn’t tell. Anyway, she invited me to this party. And she wouldn’t get off my back about it, so… I told her that I was with someone.”

“Okay, and?” Reggie said, now confused more than ever. “Why are you telling me this? What does that have to do with me?”

“That’s the thing,” Luke responded, voice shaky, “I told her that I was with you…”

Reggie didn’t even have time to process the fact that Luke would consider him as his fake partner before he blurted, “You what?!”

Luke backed up, almost afraid of the sudden rise in Reggie’s voice. “I know. I know it’s absolutely insane. But I didn’t know what else to do! You’re the only person that I know that isn’t taken. Wait, you aren’t right?”

Reggie scoffed, not surprised at all at Luke’s assumption. “Of course you’d assume that. But, no I’m not. Besides, I thought you hated me. Why should I do you any more favors?”

“You’re right. I don’t deserve it. I really don’t. But, come on. Please. I’m begging you at this point.” Luke wrapped his hands together and looked up at Reggie with a desperate gaze.

Reggie couldn’t believe he was actually considering this. It was those goddamn green eyes. Luke hadn’t been nice to him, like at all. Yes, he eased up on the teasing a little bit. But they weren’t friends. He had just established that a few minutes before.

But something inside of Reggie compelled him to agree to this weird little plan Luke had. Whatever fucked up part of him that actually liked Luke, got nervous around him, felt better around him, made him want to help the guy out.

Reggie sighed and finally conceded. “What’s in it for me?”

“Uh… free alcohol?” Luke joked with a shrug. “I don’t know, really. Just know that I’ll owe you big time. I can even get my parents to pay you extra for our next session next week. I’ll come up with some excuse.”

“Okay, fine. I’ll do it. But you definitely owe me.”

A huge smile crept onto Luke’s face, and before Reggie could react, Luke wrapped Reggie in a brief, tight hug. Reggie inhaled sharply, not expecting the strangely warming embrace. Although it was only for a few seconds, Reggie caught a lingering scent of mint on Luke’s skin, sending a chill down his spine.

Reggie pulled away first, not wanting to seem like he enjoyed the hug. Couldn’t give Luke any ideas. He looked down and laughed, shaking his head.

“What?” Luke asked, chuckling back.

“It’s just,” Reggie started, not sure where he was going with this. “I didn’t know you were… you know.”

“Gay?” Luke finished, “You can say it. And I’m not. I’m pansexual, actually.”

“Oh, that’s cool. I’m bisexual. Not that I really go around telling anyone.” Reggie answered. This is the first time Reggie’s came out to anyone in a while. Why did he feel the need to tell Luke all of a sudden?

“Nice. I never would’ve known unless you told me.” Luke uttered.

“Well, Luke,” Reggie said with a sly grin, “There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.”


	4. 04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Language and mentions of drugs/alcohol will be included in the next few chapters. Thanks for reading!

The next day. Kayla’s party was in a little over an hour. And Luke was freaking the fuck out.

“Dude, what’s up with you?” Luke’s best friend, Alex, asked, watching Luke pace back and forth in his living room.

Luke didn’t know how to answer that. Why was he freaking out? It’s just a party. He and Kayla were over for good. Like, way over. They only dated (on and off, to be fair) for about a year. It was Luke’s longest relationship. He knew that they never really clicked, but he liked the attention. Yeah, it made him a bad person. But it’s not like Kayla was that into it either. Between the two of them, it was over months before they officially broke it off. And, even after they broke up, they knew how to get under each other’s skin. 

But the thing is… why did he ask Reggie to be his date? If that’s what you can even call whatever it is they’re doing tonight. And why did Reggie agree? Luke was a complete asshole to him. Guess the guy had nothing left to lose.

Before they met up yesterday, Luke had been thinking about the weird dynamic that existed between him and Reggie. Luke knew that he annoyed Reggie, but he loved every minute of it. They only knew each other for about a month, but Luke knew just what it took to get under Reggie’s skin and set him off. It was entertaining for Luke. And yeah, something about Reggie annoyed the hell out of Luke, but he actually didn’t hate spending time with him. Reggie was pretty much saving Luke from being homeless, so he couldn’t hate his guts. Although Reggie would never know that. He has a reputation to uphold.

“I don’t know why I feel nervous,” Luke finally admitted. He wasn’t the best at expressing his feelings, obviously. But Alex was his best friend. He felt comfortable being open with him. “This thing with Kayla… she knew I couldn’t say no to her invitation. But Reggie? Why did I invite him?”

“Does the guy even like parties?”

“How would I know? We’re not friends. We’ve established that.”

“Why does he have you so wound up, then?” Alex teased, wearing a suggestive grin.

“Fuck off,” Luke huffed, crossing his arms in frustration. “I don’t know, okay? Maybe I don’t hate him, but I don’t know… Fuck! What’s wrong with me?”

Alex walked up to Luke and grabbed his shoulders, stopping his frantic pacing. “I don’t know, dude, but you’ve got to chill out.”

Luke sighed, wiggling out of his friend’s grip. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s just a party. What could go wrong?”

Luke had given Reggie Alex’s address to meet him at. Couldn’t let Reggie meet his parents or see the horribly tense environment he usually lived in. Luke didn’t know what Kayla had planned for their little meetup, so he had to prepare Reggie before the party. 

Luke looked in Alex’s bathroom mirror, shaking out his already disheveled hair. He stared at his reflection, taking in the stained cutoff t-shirt he was wearing, and frowned.

“Alex,” Luke yelled from the bathroom, “Do you have anything else I can wear?”

Suddenly Luke felt a shirt hit his chest and Alex approached him from around the corner. “You left this here the last time you stayed. Why do you care about your appearance?”

“Oh, come on. Go easy on me. I had been wearing that other shirt for a few days. I need to change, trust me. Besides, I need to look at least halfway presentable.”

Alex rolled his eyes and left the room while Luke pulled his new shirt over his head. It was one of his favorite shirts. White with a simple skull logo on the front, holes scattered across the shoulders. Chaotic yet organized. Just how he liked it. Plus, he didn’t want to look like he was trying too hard. This wasn’t a date or anything.

Before Luke knew it, he heard three neat taps on Alex’s front door. 

“Coming!” Alex exclaimed, gesturing for Luke to answer the door instead. Luke threw his arms up in frustration towards him, slowly walking to the door.

He opened the door and there he was. Reggie kept his distance from the door, looking down at his feet almost nervously. He looked good, even Luke could admit that. He was wearing a red and grey flannel over a black shirt that fitted him quite nicely.

“Hey, Luke. Hopefully, I’m not too early.”

“It’s cool. We can chill for a bit before we leave.” Luke tried to meet his eyes but Reggie kept looking away. Did Luke make him nervous? “Hey, Reg. You clean up pretty nice.”

As soon as the words left Luke’s mouth, Reggie looked up at him, meeting his eyes. He turned his head in confusion, which turned into a look of annoyance, brushing past Luke into Alex’s living room.

Luke chuckled, confused at Reggie’s reaction. He followed Reggie into the main room and tapped his shoulder. “What’s up with you?”

Realizing that he exposed himself a little too much, Reggie backtracked. “Sorry, it’s nothing. Thanks. You look nice, too.”

“Hey,” Luke started, facing Reggie wearing a slight smile, “Look, I know we’ve had our differences, but can we set them aside, just for tonight? This thing with Kayla, it’s really complicated. Hopefully, you’re good at acting, because we have to act like we’re together, remember?”

Reggie’s stomach fluttered at those words. Luke had this weird effect on him like that. “Oh, trust me, I can fake it pretty easily. I don’t know about you, though.” Whoops, he let it slip.

Luke scoffed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean. You hated me from the beginning, remember?” Luke noticed a sad look in Reggie’s eyes. Was Luke really hurting him?

“Look, I didn’t hate you, at all. Yeah, I was a dick. But I’m sorry about that.”

“Are you, though?” Reggie said quietly, unable to look at Luke again. He felt exposed. This is exactly what he wanted to avoid, but it was starting as soon as he walked through that door.

“I am, Reg, I’m serious. You don’t even have to accept, but please. Just for tonight. I’m already anticipating drama from Kayla, so let’s at least try to be civil. We don’t even have to talk unless she’s around.”

“Okay, okay, whatever.” Reggie finally conceded. Luke was very convincing, pleading with those bright green eyes. Reggie hated them. “So, what do I need to know?”

“So, she doesn’t know about the whole tutoring thing. So if she asks how we met, you might just have to make up a story on the spot. Or, I will. She’ll probably mention some shit about my mom. I’ll spare you the details, but just know we don’t have the best relationship.”

Reggie noticed Luke’s shifted expression. He looked nervous, anxious for once. Just as he had when asking Reggie about this party in the first place. He could tell that it wasn’t often that Luke was honest like this.

“You don’t have to tell me any more, Luke. We can fake it as we go like you said.”

Luke sighed in relief. “Cool, cool. Thanks, Reg. You’ve really been there for me these past few weeks, and I’ve been a complete asshole to you.”

“Hey,” Reggie responded, lightly patting Luke’s shoulder in reassurance. “Forgive and forget, okay?”

This felt nice. That small part of Reggie that was itching to get on Luke’s side was finally satisfied. They could be civil, they could be friends. He wasn’t too sure about the latter, but knowing that Luke didn’t despise him made him feel warm and fuzzy inside.

“Yeah, okay,” Luke said. Reggie swore that Luke leaned into his touch, but he brushed it off. “We should probably get going, right? The party already started.”

“Casually late, I like it.” Reggie teased, following Luke out the door.

Where was this coming from? Reggie felt confident, brave. Not even a month ago, he was nervous and flustered around Luke, afraid to do the wrong thing and set him off. It’s crazy what a few weeks of tutoring could do.


	5. 05

Reggie couldn’t admit to Luke that he’d never been to a college party. Hell, he’d never even been to a high school one. He just went to school and left, no attachments to anyone or anything besides his studies. So, he was nervous. Like, really nervous. And he couldn’t even just blend into the background and hide somewhere. Of course, Luke had to rope him into this elaborate plan to impress his ex-girlfriend. Well, Reggie wasn’t actually sure what was going on. He didn’t even know what happened between them, besides the tiny details that Luke told him before they arrived. At this point, it didn’t matter. He had already agreed to this. So he had to hold in whatever anxieties he was feeling and act like Luke’s boyfriend. Reggie chuckled to himself. It was weird to even think about them faking dating.

Before he knew it, he and Luke were in the kitchen of Kayla’s apartment. “Drink?” Luke asked, holding out a red cup towards Reggie. He wasn’t much of a drinker, but he knew that he’d need a few drinks to even feel slightly comfortable in front of complete strangers.

“Yeah,” Reggie answered, grabbing the cup from Luke’s hands, “Thanks.”

“You can’t even taste the alcohol in that. It’s Alex’s specialty,” Luke said happily, taking a huge sip from his cup.

Reggie was already two and a half drinks in before he could blink. Luke was right. It didn’t taste like alcohol at all. That could potentially be a recipe for disaster, but Reggie didn’t care at that moment. It tasted good. He felt buzzed in the best way.

He was by himself in that current moment, watching Luke talk excitedly with his hands to Alex and a few of his other friends. Luke was also a few drinks in, clearly tipsy. And Luke looked good, like, really good. His white t-shirt perfectly clung to his shoulders, the holes in it revealing parts of his skin. He liked seeing Luke like this: warm, happy, comfortable. He didn’t see that side of Luke when they were working on his schoolwork. And the reason was obvious: it didn’t bring him joy. And neither did Reggie. But it was nice to see Luke acting like himself, or at least that’s what Reggie thought. Kayla was nowhere to be found yet, hence the reason Luke was so bubbly. He’d have to see how he would act around his ex when that time came later.

“Hey, Reg!” he heard Luke’s voice ring out from across the kitchen. He nodded his head towards their group.

Reggie placed his empty cup in the trash and walked over to their group, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Meeting new people has always been an interesting experience for him. As Reggie approached them, Luke leaned in, snaking an arm around Reggie’s shoulders. He jumped slightly at the sensation of Luke’s firm, muscular arm wrapped tightly around his back, but he had to keep his cool. It had to seem natural. This seemed so easy for Luke because he was faking it all. But, for Reggie, it felt different. He didn’t like the guy, but something about Luke’s touch made him want to jump out of his skin in the best way.

“There are some people I want you to meet,” Luke said softly near Reggie’s ear, sending heat up his neck. “This is Julie and her girlfriend, Flynn. Guys, this is my boyfriend, Reggie.” After those last words, his grip tightened comfortably around Reggie’s shoulders.

Hearing those words aloud just about sent Reggie over the edge. “Hi, everyone,” Reggie said with a big grin, waving at the girls.

“Oh, come on, Luke. Let him go so we can hug him!” Julie teased, pulling Reggie into her arms. Flynn came up behind Reggie and squeezed him as well. They were both shorter than him, but their hugs were even tighter than Luke’s. He felt secure. Besides the hug with Luke yesterday, he doesn’t remember the last time he was hugged like that.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you, Reggie!” Flynn exclaimed. “We’ve heard great things.”

“Wait, you have?” Reggie asked, freezing after realizing he almost gave them away. “I mean, really? That’s great!”

“Oh yeah, totally. He never stops talking about you.” Alex chimed in, throwing Reggie a wink. He was the only one in the group besides Luke and Reggie that knew about their little operation.

They talked for a while. What felt like minutes ended up being an hour. Reggie found out that Luke introduced Flynn to Julie from one of his classes last semester and they hit it off immediately (“It was love at first sight. Quite romantic.” Julie had said). It was all fun and games until they asked Reggie about his life.

“So, what do you do when you’re not tutoring our Luke?” Alex asked.

Reggie felt himself freeze but made sure not to show it in his facial expression. How was he going to tell them that tutoring Luke was all he did? Reggie went to his classes, went to tutoring, spent all day at the library reading and studying, and went home to do more reading and studying. It was his entire life. And he felt completely pathetic at the thought of admitting that to the group.

Before Reggie could take a breath and answer, he heard a girl’s voice from behind him.

“Well, well, well, you weren’t lying.” Reggie turned around, seeing a girl only a few inches shorter than him, with tan skin and black hair cascading over her shoulders. She looked up at Luke, seeing his suddenly tense expression. It was Kayla, of course.

“Uh, h-hey. Yeah, I wasn’t. This is Reggie, my boyfriend. Reg, this is Kayla.” Luke’s voice was shaky, lacking the confidence he exuded just minutes before. Although they didn’t always see eye-to-eye, Reggie knew that he had to be strong for Luke in this moment.

Reggie stepped in front of Luke, almost shielding him. “Hello, Kayla. I’ve heard great things.” He stuck out his hand to which Kayla grabbed it, shaking it firmly.

“You have? That’s surprising, because things didn’t end on the best of terms.”

“Kayla, please. Can we not do this right now? We’re broken up. I’ve forgiven and forgotten. Can’t we just enjoy the party as friends?” Reggie could hear the pain in Luke’s voice. He could tell that their relationship took a great emotional toll on Luke. He had never seen this side of him before.

“Forgive and forget, that’s the spirit. Shall we go get more drinks?” Reggie was desperate to change the subject, to get Luke out of there.

“Not so fast,” Kayla snapped, “So, how did he get you, anyway? Did he lead you on for months just to half-ass his way through your relationship? If so, I’m quite familiar.”

“That’s not what happened,” Luke said in almost a whisper, jaw clenched.

“What was that?” Kayla asked with a snarky expression. Reggie glared at her. She knew exactly what she was doing.

“Kayla, cut it out, okay?” Julie snapped, stepping in front of her. “Leave him alone. You guys are over, get over it.”

“Yeah, whatever. He’ll come crawling back eventually.”

And that’s what broke him. Without a word, Luke pushed past the group, grabbing a bottle of vodka from the counter, and ran out of the room.


	6. 06

“Luke, wait!” Reggie said after him. He couldn’t just let him go. Not after all of that.

As he tried running after him, he felt a small hand block him from continuing. He looked over and saw Julie looking at him with soft, sympathetic eyes.

“I wouldn’t do that. He’s gonna need a minute,” she said, sadly.

“But–”  
“Trust me,” Julie reassured him, “When it comes to Kayla, it’s best to leave him alone for just a little bit. He needs time to process his emotions, you know? Manly stuff.”

Reggie chuckled at that last part.

“Come on, I think Alex is in the next room.” Reggie followed the girls into one of the bedrooms. As they walked past the living room, he took in the scene. People were scattered amongst the place, chatting but not making too much noise. It was strangely chill, especially considering the incident that happened just minutes before.

They walked into the bedroom, where Alex was slouching over the opposite end of the bed. As he sat up, a humongous cloud of smoke surrounded his body and scattered throughout the room. The sour smell of weed filled the room. He turned around, coughing a bit, revealing the biggest bong that Reggie had ever seen in person.

“Hey, guys,” Alex said, still coughing a bit, “You want a hit, Reg? It looks like you might need it, especially after, you know…”

It had been a while since Reggie smoked. He used to do it all the time when he was anxious, back in high school. Everyone was doing it back then. But now, he didn’t know why he had ever stopped.

Without another word, Reggie grabbed the bong and took a significantly long hit, causing him to cough aggressively. So, it definitely had been a while.

Flynn, Alex, and Julie all burst into laughter. “Dude, that was huge! Doesn’t seem like your first time.”

Reggie laughed, still catching his breath. “It’s not. I used to do it all the time, actually.”

“You’re an interesting guy, Reg,” Flynn said with a giggle.

They continued to pass the bong around the room, exchanging jokes and stories. It felt so nice, like Reggie belonged with them all along.

“I can’t believe Luke hid you from us for so long. You fit right in!” Julie said with a smile, wrapping her arm around Reggie’s neck affectionately. They were being so kind to him. He felt horrible hiding the truth from them.

“I need to confess something.” Reggie blurted out. The mixture of weed and alcohol was making him extra honest tonight.

“What’s up, Reggie?” Flynn asked, genuinely worried.

“Well, Luke and I… we’re not actually dating. I’m actually his tutor. He just, he didn’t want to come to the party without anyone, because of Kayla, you know? So, he asked me to pretend to be his boyfriend. I know it sounds crazy, but there it is.”

“No way!” Julie gasped, hitting Reggie on the shoulder playfully, “Well, you guys are great actors. Or are you really acting?” Reggie tensed at the thought of the strange feelings he had for Luke coming out of his mouth, so he kept it shut.

“Yeah, that was some pretty convincing acting out there, Reg,” Alex agreed, “I don’t think Luke was acting either.”

“Oh, yeah, right. You know Luke actually hated me when we first met?” Reggie admitted once again. “Don’t worry, I didn’t like him either.”

“Ooh, tension. I like it,” Alex answered, teasing him with a grin.

Before Reggie could defend him and Luke’s honor, the bedroom door jerked open. Luke came stumbling in, the bottle of vodka he took from the kitchen now empty, clanking onto the carpeted floor.

“Luke, oh god,” Julie sighed, running over to catch him from falling on his face.

“Hey,” he mumbled, attempting and failing to push Julie away, “I can walk on my own.” He finally succeeded in pushing Julie away, not enough to hurt her but enough to get her away. He stumbled over to where Reggie was sitting on the bed, plopping into his lap. Reggie felt a jolt surge through his body, quickly reacting to Luke’s sudden movement by wrapping his arms around him. To make sure he didn’t fall, obviously.

“Hey, sexy,” Luke said, looking right at Reggie. He wasn’t speaking clearly. And Reggie wasn’t thinking clearly. They were both too intoxicated for their own good, but the butterflies still came through. “I missed you. You were gone for so long.”

“Hey,” Reggie said, laughing at Luke’s sudden affection, “I wanted to give you some space, especially after everything that happened.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever. Anyway, you look pretty hot tonight.” Luke responded, looking Reggie up and down. “This shirt fits you real nice.” Luke’s firm hand made contact with Reggie’s chest, slowly moving up and down. What was Luke doing? Whatever it was, it was driving Reggie up the wall.

“Uh, thanks.” Reggie was nervous but relaxed at the same time, a feeling he didn’t realize was possible.

“Alright, alright, Luke, fun’s over,” Alex said from the other side of the room. “The girls know that it’s not real. You don’t have to pretend anymore.”

“Wait, what?” Luke said, suddenly springing up from Reggie’s lap. “You told them?!”

“Wait, you’re mad?” Reggie said softly, “I thought you’d be happy that they knew the truth. It was bound to come out eventually.”

“Yeah, Luke. Knowing how much you run your mouth when you’re drunk or high, it definitely would’ve come out,” Flynn agreed.

“No, fuck you, Reggie.” Luke snapped, storming out of the room once again. But this time, Reggie couldn’t let Luke get away.

Reggie ran after Luke, hearing the front door of Kayla’s apartment slam shut. He sprinted down the stairs and rounded the corner of the building, catching Luke slumped against the brick wall.

“Luke, please. Why did you leave?”

He stood up suddenly, getting close to Reggie. The look of rage and sadness on his face was enough for Reggie to crawl out of his skin in fear. “You had no right to do that. I was going to tell them eventually! I can’t believe you!” He was yelling, so loud. Reggie tried so hard not to flinch at each piercing word spilling from Luke’s mouth.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you’d be upset. But they were really cool about it. You’ve got some pretty great friends.”

Luke still wasn’t convinced. He began pacing, scratching his head. “No, no. This was a mistake. We shouldn’t have done this. I never should’ve invited you here.”

“What?” Reggie asked softly. He was in disbelief. He couldn’t keep up with this rollercoaster of a relationship with Luke anymore. So he snapped, too.

“No, Luke, you know what? I’m tired of this. You’ve been toying with me for weeks. All of a sudden, a few days ago, you want to be friends? All so you can use me to make yourself look sane in front of your ex-girlfriend? You know I have feelings too, right?”

Luke didn’t respond. He just stared at Reggie, waiting for him to continue.

“I’ve been nothing but nice to you. I did you a favor today. And yet you still want to treat me like this.”

“Well,” Luke replied softly, “As I said, we aren’t friends.” And that is what completely set Reggie off. Before he could think about his actions, he grabbed Luke’s shoulders firmly, pushing him against the cool brick wall. Luke grunted in pain as his back slammed against the hard surface.

“I’m not gonna let you walk all over me anymore. To think I started to like you.” Reggie huffed, taking control. “Fuck you, Luke.”

They both stared at each other for a minute, heavy breaths in sync.

Luke knew the toxins in his veins were still in control when he said, “What are you gonna do, kiss me?”

Reggie took in a sharp breath, eyes moving between Luke’s shining green eyes and his pouting lips. This didn’t go unnoticed. Luke scoffed, flashing a suggestive grin.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to.” Reggie didn’t know what came over him. It was a cocktail of the entire night: drugs, alcohol, strange encounters with exes. He couldn't hold back this time. 

“Well,” Luke whispered, leaning in, “what’s stopping you?”

Reggie met him halfway, closing the gap in between them, lips colliding aggressively. It was sloppy, wet lips sliding together out of sync. That’s what happens when two intoxicated people kiss. But it was warm, electrifying. Luke’s lips tasted of strong vodka and beer, but Reggie couldn’t get enough. Reggie kept one hand on the wall behind them, the other hand caressing the side of Luke’s neck as their lips moved together. Their noses bumped, they laughed in between breaths, but it felt good. Like, so good. Luke’s hands sat firmly on Reggie’s shoulders, gripping them tightly, ensuring that he wouldn’t pull away anytime soon. Their chests eventually collided as Luke fully wrapped his arms around Reggie’s waist. Luke could feel Reggie’s heartbeat thumping through his shirt as he deepened the kiss. 

Reggie was the first to pull away, breathing even heavier now. His lips felt raw from Luke’s messy tongue and teeth. But it was a sensation he wouldn’t trade for anything.

“So,” Reggie spoke first, still breathless, “Just friends, huh?”


End file.
